Former Portsmouth School Board member resigns teaching post

PORTSMOUTH — The former School Board member who caused a stir when she was hired as a middle school teacher in 2010 has tendered her resignation.

Lisa Sweet has been on an unpaid leave of absence from her job at Portsmouth Middle School this year, said Superintendent Ed McDonough. On Tuesday night, the School Board accepted a letter from Sweet indicating she will not return as a teacher in the fall.

"The flexibility I have had this year to spend time with family members who live outside of the local area has been worthwhile," she wrote. "As I weigh competing priorities going forward, I need to opt for more flexibility than full-time teaching can permit."

Sweet did not return a call seeking further comment.

Sweet accepted a job as a sixth-grade math and science teacher in the summer of 2010. At the time, she was a member of the School Board, and had to resign that post to accept the job.

The hiring resulted in the city's first referendum question on a municipal election ballot in a decade. In 2011, voters overwhelmingly approved the referendum, leading to a change in the City Charter that stated that no member of the City Council, School Board, Fire Commission or Police Commission shall apply or become an employee of the city until the expiration of the term for which that person was elected.

Mayor Eric Spear, who was a city councilor at the time, suggested the charter change due to the perceived conflict of interest. At the time, he said that elected officials who apply for a job opening with the city might be perceived as using leverage to gain an advantage in the job selection process.

In her letter of resignation, Sweet thanked those in the school system who took the time to know her background and "what I have to offer as an educator." She said she enjoyed contributing as a School Board member and returning to the classroom to work directly with students, and that she hopes to find ways to be involved in the future.